Simulated helicopter



Oct. 10, 1961 R. RUSSELL SIMULATED HELICOPTER Filed March 9, 1961 FIGURE 2.

FIGURE I.

FIGRE 8.

FIGURE 3.

II a FIGURE 7.

FIGURE'Q.

FIGURE 4. FIGURE 5.

I 'III.

FIGURE II.

29%,30 30 FIGURE IO IN V EN TOR.

24 RYL AND RUSSELL BY 5 ATToRN EY FIGURE l2.

FIGURE I3.

United, States Patent ice A 3,003,774 SIMULATED HELICOPTER Ryland Russell, 5628 Pembroke Lane, Shawnee Mission, Kans.

Filed Mar. 9, 1961, Ser. No. 94,630 1 Claim. (Cl. 280-121) This invention relates to a simulated helicopter including the structure of a velocipede and is useful to occupy the spare time of a child for the more noble and useful purpose of amusement to deter the child from possible mischievous and wayward acts.

An object of this invention is to simulate a helicopter including the structure of a velocipede having a steering column with handle bars, a spring rod being connected to the steering column and extended upwardly in a C shape to space a propeller above the occupant' and the handle bars of the steering column.

The spring rod in this invention is curved forwardly and upwardly in a C shape and is tapered from the lower end thereof to the upper end thereof to vibrate with the supported propeller when being rotated by a natural wind, or relative breeze from the travel of the vehicle.

My improved propeller is made of soft resilient material to prevent injury to a child. The blades of the propeller are manually adjustable to any desired pitch for amusement.

The tapered spring rod for supporting the propeller is provided with a connector having a pair of wedges hearing downwardly on the handle bars with surfaces sloped in opposite directions and in spaced relation for the alignment of the tapered rod. The tapered spring rod may be adjusted in a vertical plane or inclined to the right or left of the vehicle by the forward or rearward adjustment of the connector clamp on the steering column.

The propeller shaft is pivotally adjustable with the upper end portion of the tapered spring rod to incline the pro peller shaft forwardly or rearwardly to suit the slope desired by the imagination of a child.

This specification will be more fully understood with reference to the accompanying drawing, and the claim appended.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a view illustrating the front elevation of the improved simulated helicopter. The side vibration movements of the spring rod are indicated by broken lines.

FIGURE 2 is a view illustrating one longitudinal elevation of the improved simulated helicopter with the outline of a child seated thereon. The vibration movements of the spring rod are indicated by broken lines.

FIGURE 3 is a view illustrating a plan of the connector.

FIGURE 4 is a view illustrating the front elevation of the connector.

FIGURE 5 is a view illustrating one longitudinal elevation of the connector.

FIGURE 6 is a view illustrating a nomal plan of the propeller shaft.

FIGURE 7 is a view illustrating a normal side elevation of the propeller shaft.

FIGURE 8 is a view illustrating the normal plan of the hub of the propeller.

FIGURE 9 is a view illustrating a section taken on lines 9-9 of FIGURE 8.

FIGURE 10 is a view illustrating the mounting end of a propeller blade.

FIGURE 11 is a view illustrating one longitudinal flat side of a propeller blade.

FIGURE 12 is a view illustrating the upper end portion Patented Oct. 10, 196i of the spring rod mounted in the clip adapted for the pivot connection to the propeller shaft.

FIGURE 13 is a view illustrating the lower end portion of the spring rod mounted in the clip adapted for the pivot connection to the lugs of the connector.

It is well known that a helicopter when in motion under its own power is constantly throbbing with vibrations and the present simulated helicopter 15 is made to vibrate, especially the spring rod 16 and propeller 17, under the self propelling power of the rider 18 coupled with any breeze that may be in relative motion with the simulated helicopter 15. The relative breeze may be sufficient to turn the propeller 17 on the propeller shaft 19 thereto. The spring rod 16 is preferably formed in a C shape and is tapered from the lower connection clip 20 located at the larger end thereof to the upper connection clip 21 located at the smaller end thereof. The spring rod 16 is preferably made of plastic with resilient qualities.

The propeller shaft 19 has the lower end thereof provided with an eye 22 to pivot on the clamp bolt 23 and connect with an eye 24 on the upper connection clip 21. The propeller shaft 19 is extended upwardly to a desired angle of inclination or vertical if desired and the clamp bolt 23 is tightened. The propeller hub 25 is made of soft resilient material mounted on a journal sleeve 26 to turn on the propeller shaft 19 and is loosely retained on the propeller shaft '19 by the nut 27 and washer 28.

The propeller blades 29 are made of soft resilient material to protect a child from severe injury when coming in contact therewith, and the hub 25 being of soft material will also yield with the blades 29. Each propeller blade 29 is provided with a stem 39 preferably tapered to fit into respective holes 31 located in the propeller hub 25. The propeller blades 29 may be turned on the stems 30 to give any pitch of the propeller blades 23 desired for direction of rotation or simulated speed of rotation or elevation.

The lower connection clip 20 of the spring rod 16 is located between the lugs 32 and pivoted on clamp bolt 33 for adjustment before being clamped to a desired position.

A plate 34 is provided with a clamp 35 located on the lower face thereof and secured to the steering column 36 by bolts 37. The connection lugs 32 are secured to the upper face of the plate 34. A pair of taper wedge members 38 are spaced on the lower face of the plate 34 with the taper faces 39 thereof facing downwardly in parallel relation and in opposite directions to rest on the mid-portions of the handle bars 40, and are adjusted on the handle bars 40 by adjusting the clamp 35 and plate 34 forwardly or rearwardly on the steering column 36 to cause the spring rod 16 to move from one angled position to another angular position, thereby giving an upright alignment or a position sloping to the right or left of the upright alignment for simulating turns or travel of the simulated helicopter 15.

The connection clip 20, clamp 35, bolts 37, lugs 32, bolt 33, plate 34, taper wedge members 38, all collectively constitute a connector 41 for connection to the steering column 36 as set forth in the appended claim. Velocipede 14 supports the steering column 36.

I claim:

A velocipede having a steering column curved upwardly and forwardly and joined to the mid-length of handle bars, an anchor plate secured to the steering column and projected over the mid-length of the handle bars, a pair of parallel wedge shaped members spaced and being secured to the lower face of said anchor plate with the lower surfaces thereof being tapered downwardly in opposite directions to bear downwardly on the mid-lengthporfiens of the handle bars, lugs, said lugs being secured to and projected upwardly from the upper face of said anchor plate, a C curved rod, the lower end portion of said C curved rod being pivotally connected to said lugs, a propeller made of resilient material, a propeller shaft, and said propeller shaft being pivetally connected to the upper end portion of'said C curved rod. I

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

